Built in Santa Catarina, Mexico, it was the studio’s first project outside of Chile. The 70 connected homes were based on a similar housing complex they built in Iquique, Chile in 2004. This time, they had almost double the budget, but it was still next to nothing: about $20,000 per unit. So Elemental took a similar approach, building out half of each house, including the difficult parts like the bathroom and kitchen, and leaving the second half empty, to be constructed by the resident. It’s cheap, clever, and instills an ownership in residents that fully-built–but poorly-built–housing projects lack. Plus, it’s another sign that architecture is moving away from show and towards substance. It’s a welcome, if overdue change.

See the rest of the winners in fashion, product design, furniture, graphics, transport, and interactive design here.